If Miami Heat fans were growing any level of confidence in the team's pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, an ESPN asset rankings list might just crush it all. In the article, the Heat's assets received a tier 4 ranking, quelling all hopes fans may currently have for a trade for Giannis, or any superstar for that matter.
To put the ranking into perspective, there are 17 teams listed in a higher tier than the Heat. In other words, by definition, Miami has "below-average" ranked assets compared to the rest of the league.
And for any team looking to land a superstar player, that won't help matters. Let's just put it this way: in the eyes of ESPN, the Heat has below-average assets, hoping to land a superstar player. If the math doesn't make sense, it shouldn't.
If the Heat does end up missing out on Giannis again, their "below-average" assets are certainly going to be a big reason why.
The Heat's reality when it comes to their assets
In fairness, the Heat have done well with many of the cards they've been dealt. It's hard to secure premier assets, especially through the draft, when they're a playoff team almost every season. Even when they aren't a contender, their draft picks are nowhere near the top 10, as we witnessed this past season.
That is taken into account when calculating this ranking, the fact that the Heat's future draft picks will likely never fall within the top 10. Considering all that, it's easy to see why the Heat's "assets" don't rank high compared to other teams in the league.
That said, it doesn't change the reality of the Heat's assets as they prepare to head into an all-out bidding war for Giannis.
They don't have elite assets, and that matters. Especially for a Milwaukee Bucks team that will be looking to jump-start its rebuild via the Giannis trade.
Miami is still one of the best developmental organizations in the league, and that speaks to the work they've done with the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, Kel'el Ware, and others. But again, the Heat still lacks the elite assets that make a Giannis trade likely.
The Heat's big dilemma
Interestingly enough, the fact that the Heat aren't bad enough consistently to garner better assets through the NBA Draft could end up being a reason why they fall short in their pursuit of Giannis. It's also why they're considered one of the best franchises in the league.
It's certainly a cruel basketball world that the Heat resides in.
But if there's any front office that will be able to figure it out, it's the Heat's. They've done it before, and are looking to do it again.
Despite this brutal gut check from ESPN, the Heat is still all-in on Giannis. That doesn't change. However, the odds for the Heat to emerge this offseason with a superstar were already long, and there's no question that this asset ranking from ESPN just made it that much more difficult.
If the Bucks care about optics at all, this is not good for the Heat.
Add us as a preferred source on Google